Paris (AFP)

New talent in deep freediving, the French Arnaud Jérald broke the world record in twin fins (constant weight) by descending to 112 m on Tuesday in Kalamata (Greece), his team announced to AFP.

The 24-year-old diver signed his feat in a competition, the European Cup, in which about twenty athletes participate.

He dived Tuesday morning for a record apnea in 3 minutes and 24 seconds.

He broke the world record that had just been set by world star Alexey Molchanov.

The Russian, who held the best world mark (110 m in August 2019), descended Monday to 111 m in 4 min 10 sec in Krk (Croatia).

Jérald offered himself his second world record after having descended to 108 m on May 20, 2019. Based in Marseille, the young diver has been preparing in the greatest secrecy since the beginning of June for the world record in constant weight twin fins, its flagship discipline, which consists of diving and ascending with the same number of weights along a line without touching it.

He was keen to take back the record that Molchanov took from him in 2019 and was preparing for a descent to 111 m, which he had planned to do in Villefranche-sur-mer (Alpes-Maritime), where the heroes of the apnea, like Guillaume Néry or Loïc Leferme, thrilled during beautiful adventures.

But Jérald experienced a series of ups and downs.

His first two attempts, which were successful on August 10 and 14, were not validated following a protocol problem and an error by a member of his team.

A third dive could not be organized for lack of a doctor available.

The 2018 vice-world champion in bi-fins accuses the blow, but does not give up and decides to take advantage of this rare competition in Greece.

He still has 111 meters in sight, but on Monday, Molchanov successfully descends to that depth.

It will therefore be 112 m for Jérald.

Since the beginning of June, between training and attempts, Arnaud Jérald has dived five times to 111 m and once to 112 m.

Jérald, who suffered from dyslexia as a child, discovered apnea at the age of 16.

At 21, he reached for the first time the mythical bar of 100 m.

Its greatest depth is 118 m with a single fin (much faster and less physical than a twin fin).

© 2020 AFP